I ATTENDED a public meeting chaired by Hilton Dawson MP to discuss proposals put forward by Lancaster City Council to improve safety on Bowerham Road and Barton Road last Friday.

The proposals included road narrowing near Havelock street, a mini roundabout at Coulston Road, a pedestrian refuge near Chester Place and lots of road markings.

What those plans would do is make a bad situation worse because -

o Narrowing the road squeezes cyclists off the road. Bearing in mind that this is an official cycle route, it is already dangerous because of speeding motorists and bus drivers who take no notice of cyclists.

o The pedestrian refuge is next to a bus stop which makes it very dangerous.

o There is no logic in a mini roundabout at this point.

o Painting the road does nothing to improve safety

The plans come a year after the Barton Road Safe Crossing Campaign Group collected more than 600 signatures asking for a pelican crossing and traffic calming on Barton Road.

Unfortunately there is no mention of a crossing or traffic calming measures in the existing plans.

During the discussion it was made clear by the Lancaster city engineers that this scheme would cost thousands of pounds at a time when funds are limited. So surely it makes a lot more sense to:

STOP and think what these plans are going to achieve, LOOK again at the whole situation and LISTEN to what local people are saying.

Mariet Allen, Lancaster.